Overview/Routes

The Ten Pins area is located further east on the Needles Highway from its name sake, the Needles Eye. Travel through the tunnel by the Needles Eye and park on the right at an extreme notch in the road that goes back left just before the Cathedral Spires parking lot. From the hard 180 degree turn in the road (which will face your vehicle towards the Cathedral Spires {photo}, the Ten Pins will be on your right), park and walk down a gully. You'll pass End Pin (on your left) and Split pin (on your left up against a larger body of rock).

(Ten Pins Map)
This is the most popular set of spires in Needles. King Pin and Tent Peg- 5.7’s, and Tricouni Nail- 5.8-9 are well protected, while Hairy Pin and Super Pin are considered two of the most exposed 5.10’s around.

By most accounts the most classic of the Ten Pin climbs is Tricouni Nail which I climbed on a trip in April, 2006. This is a sustained 5.8-5.9 route with good pro except for a little run out at the top. The summit barely holds two people and allows for the unique simul-rap I had heard so much about. We tied the ropes together and one climber goes off one end of the spire while the other goes off the other end, no gear or station in place. Just make damn sure when you come off rappel that your partner is down on deck.

For a good start to your day, walk back up the road to the next pullout west (past Cleopatra) and take a trail to your left into the woods a short distance to find Patience Pawn. This is a mellow 5.7 to get a feel for the rock texture and run out of the routes you will find at Ten Pins.

Getting There

Proceed past the Mount Rushmore National Monument south of Rapid City, SD on Highway 16 and turn left on Highway 87. Highway 87 (Needles Highway) is a 14-mile long road through tunnels and granite outcroppings referred to as the Needles area, between Highway 16 and Alt 16. It has several 180 degree switchbacks and is closed in the winter.

Travel through the tunnel by the Needles Eye and park on the right at an extreme notch in the road that goes back left just before the Cathedral Spires parking lot. From the hard 180 degree turn in the road (which will face your vehicle towards the Cathedral Spires {photo}, the Ten Pins will be on your right), park and walk down a gully. You'll pass End Pin (on your left) and Split pin (on your left up against a larger body of rock).

Red Tape

There are no permit requirements to climb in Custer State Park. However, permits are required to enter and/or park. From May 1 through October 31 the fees are $5 per person or $12 per vehicle. Off season they are reduced to half that amount. These permits are valid up to 7 days. An annual park entrance pass is $23. These are 2006 rates.

Fires are only allowed at designated sites, picnic areas, and established campgrounds in approved fire pits. Firewood must be cut-to-size to fit within the confines of the pits (chainsaws are not allowed). Open fires are strictly prohibited in the French Creek Natural Area or outside the confines of established campground and picnic areas in the park. You will see evidence of serious out of control fires in the past therefore various other restrictions might be in place when you visit.

When to Climb

We climbed the Needles (Ten Pins) and Rushmore areas in April. The Needles Highway is not open year around and was not fully open in April. I consider this area more of a late spring, late fall or summer destination.

Camping

There is a free climbers campsite complete with pit toilet. As you pass Mount Rushmore on your right, look for a pullout on the right hand side. There should be a camping sign posted. This site is exclusively reserved for climbers.

Camping permits are required year-round for any other areas. Some camping fees are reduced (Basic Camping Fee $6.00) when water systems and outhouses are winterized. Self-registration may be required. At Custer State Park firewood is available at Custer Resort Company stores (closed in the off-season).

You can find resorts at Sylvan Lake, Legion Lake, Blue Bell and the State Game Lodge, all located within Custer State Park. Each resort has its own thing going, ranging from the stately Game Lodge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, to the mini dude ranch at Blue Bell.

Climbing Conditions

Sylvan Lake, Middle Earth, the Outlets, Needles Eye Area, Ten Pins, and the Cathedral Spires have traditional ethics. If a new route is to be bolted, this must be done from the ground up on lead with no direct aid.

External Links

Guide Books

• Recommended Climbing Routes in the Needles of Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota by John Page and Mount Rushmore National Memorial Climber's Guide by Vernon R. Phinney, both available at Granite Sports, Hill City, SD, 605 574-2425
• Touch the Sky by Paul Piana (Out of print, try to find it used on the internet)

Images

""You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.""
--Rene Daumal